Rotary engine.



R. SAUNDERS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.191s.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 1.

R. SAUNDERS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1916.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

an mas BOY SAUNDERS, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SAUNDERS MOTOR POWER COMPANY, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 191%.

Application filed June 3, 1916. Serial No. 101,447.

fluid or steam, and consists in the novel design, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more fully disclosed.

An object of the invention is to produce a rotary engine comprising a rotor having working cylinders therein and equipped with plate pistons, in combination with mechanism for operating the pistons effectively to perform the cycle of charging, compressing, firing and exhausting the working chambers in succession.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for packing the working chambers of the rotor of engines of the classdescribed.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an engine of the class described an improved cooling system.

Additional advantages appertaining to the invention will be readily recognized by those skilled in the art,- without specific mentionthereof from the following detailed disclosure of an embodiment of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken through the engine embodying the invention approximately on the line 11 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is an-irregular transverse section taken on the line, 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the engine taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1. r

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings'the engine casing is shown mounted upon a base casting 1, the case proper including a cylinder 2 closed by heads 3 and 4. The heads 3 and 4 are bolted to the cylinder 2, thereby being removable 't'or access to the interior of. the engine case. At the center of the head 3 is a boss 5 through which a drive shaft 6 extends. The

head 4 is formed with a similar boss 9 and constitutes a bearing for the other end of the shaft 6. The boss 9 is hollowed out similarly to the boss 5 and has mounted therein a piston 10. A packing nut 11 is threaded over the end of the boss 9, there being an expansion spring 12 interposed between the outer face of the piston and the inner face of the packing nut. The purpose of this construction will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Similarly designed castings 13 and 14: are matched against the inner face of the heads 3 and-ilrespectively, being secured thereto by bolts 15. The castings 13 and 14 are formed of a tubular body 16, having at one end a flange 17-which matches against the respective heads 3 and 4, the shaft passmg through the center of said end pieces. At the opposite ends of the bodies 16 are formed cam-faced flanges 18. The interior diameter of the body 16 is sufliciently greater than the diameter of the shaft 6 so as to accommodate end thrust-bearings 19 which tend to hold the rotor element in adjustment.

The rotor element proper comprises duplicate plates 20 and 21 cross bolted by stayrods 22. The plates 20 and 21 are formed with annular flanges 23 and 24 respectively, in which are a series of grooves, as illustrated three in number, two of which are packed with rings 25 of the open resilient type, the central groove being open for the passage of the cooling fluid as will be described hereinafter.

Between the plates 20 and 21 is a shell casting of the form and shape best illustrated in Fig. 8. This shell casting has an outer circular wall 26 and parallel walls 27, the walls 27 being so arranged as to form quadrants, so that when the shell casting is mounted between the plates 20 and 21 there will be formed a series of working chambers which for convenience of description are designated F, vE, I and C, indicating the chamber in position for firing, exhausting, intaking and compressing, being the complete cycle of operation.

There are series of segmental walls 28 arranged within the wall 26 so that surrounding each of the chambers in the shell casting are passageways 29 at the periphery and radial passageways 30 at the sides.

The plates 20 and 21 have axial bosses 31 and "32 respectively, the shaft 6 extending through said bosses and being rigidly affixed to the plates by means of a sleeve 33. The hub 34 of a. lever casting 35 fits over the sleeve 33 intermediate the. end thrust-bearings 19 and the end of the hub of each of the plates 20 and 21 respectively. The hub 34 is not aflixed to the sleeve ,33 but is free to rock thereon.

The space between the inner face of the respective heads 3 and 4, and the plates 20 and 21 is designed to constitute oil chambers O for the lubrication of the moving parts. In order to prevent the oil from escaping from the case of the engine out through the bearings, the packing glands 7 and the piston 10 .are provided. A tight joint between the flanges 23 and 24 is effected by the packing rings 25, so that the oil chambers are completely sealed. The periphery ofthe rotor shell is spaced somewhat from the walls of the outer cylinder so asto constitute passage ways for the operative fluid.

, The space between the stator 2 and the rotor periphery 26 is dividedninto sealed quadrants by sealing shoes 36. The shoes 36 are mounted in housings formed fromend plates 37 and top plates 38 arranged upon the cylinder 2 at spaced intervals. The shoes 36 are formed from united angular plates, the matching ends of the plates being curved as indicated at 39 to conform tothe circumference of the wall 26., Packing glands 4O fit around the shoes 36 and bear at their inner end against strips of elastic packing 41. Theglands 40 are adjustable through bolts 42 in the plates 38, there being a resilient connection between the shoes36 and the glands 40 by means of the expansion springs 43. By this construction the bearing surfaces 39 of the shoes 36 are-held in close contact with the wall 26 of the shell of the rotor,'.thus dividing the peripheral space be' tween the inner wall 2 of the cylinder and the wall 26 of the shell of the rotor into quadrants.

WVithineach of the chambers designated. F, E, I and C is mounted a plate piston, said pistons being'duplicate. in construction and therefore designated by the sa e number 44. The pistons 44 are supported y shafts 45, said shafts having bearing through the bosses 31 and 32 of the respective plates 20 and 21. The lower ends of the plates 44 are rounded as indicated at 46 and operate against a curved portion 47 at the base of' the working chambers, the joint at one side of the axis of the plate mounting being sealed'by a packing 48', fitted in a groove in the'wall of the chamber. Each of the pistons 44 is grooved at its outer and side edges so as to receive double packing-straps 49, thereby effecting a close joint at all points between the piston and the walls of the chamber.

The respective pistons are rocked in the shown in Fig. 2 as having attached thereto levers 50. The opposite arms of the lever 35 have pivoted thereto links 51. The links 51 support at their opposite ends bolts 52 which constitute the axes ofrollers 53. The

links 54 connect the bolts 52 with the ends 'of the levers 50. Arms 55 are carried by the bolts52 and are connected by links 56 pivoted to the bosses 57 carried by the hub members 31 of the side plates of the rotor. This construction operates as follows:

As the rotor revolves in the direction. of the arrow in Fig. 2, the rollers 53 ride upon the face ofv the cams 18. The cams are so formed that-when the rollers 53 ride pver theshoulders 58 of the cams, the shafts 45 that are connected with the respective rollers 53 will be controlled for a quarter of a revolution of the rotor, so that during the interval that the rollers 53 are riding down the sharp face of the shoulders 58, the forward ends of the links 56 are moved forwardly relative to the rear ends of the links 54. When the links 56 have been thus moved forwardly to the full extent of their movement the rollers will be drawn forwardly over the curved surfaces of the cams extending from the base of the respective shoulders 58 tothe high point of said shoulders. This movement gradually rocks the respective pistons tothe opposite ends of the working chambers. That is to say, assuming one of the pistons to be in position of compression, explosion then occurs, and while the piston is thus controlled by the link connections and by the roller 53 operating on "the cam shoulder, the rotor is driven forwardly by the.

take of gas and movementflo'f the piston to position of compression occurs during movement of the roller on the cam toward the shoulder 58-at which explosion occurred as macros above described. By reference to Fig. 3, the explanation of the operation may be better understood. Assuming that the rotor is moving in the direction of the arrow 59, it will be observed that the chamber F has passed beyond the shoe 36 at the top of the cylinder and is in the zone controlled by that shoe and the shoe at the left hand side of the view. This is the firing zone of the engine and the ignition system is timed to explode the gas by the spark plug when the rotor is in this zone, it being observed that there is always communication between the peripheral space between the outer wall of the rotor and the cylinder through the ports 61. The explosion having just occurred in the chamber F the piston is controlled by the mechanism and in the manner above described, both in the chamber F and in the chamber 1. The force of the explosion being against the piston as an abutment and against the rotor as a movable part in the chamber F, the rotor is driven forward andwhen reaching the position of the chamber E the piston in said chamber is moved forward-causing the products of combustion to be expelled through the exhaust pipe 62 communicating with the peripheral exhaust zone between the lower shoe 36 and the shoe at the left hand side of the view. The .chamber I now being in the intake zone, the rotor moves forwardly relative to the piston so that there is a suction in the chamber, causing the inrush of the gas through the supply passage 63. The rotor then progresses to the point where the chamber C is in the position shown in the view, whereupon the piston moves forwardly to compress the charge. Thus it will be seen that the complete operative cycle is successively performed in each of the working chambers, the pistons having the same ex tent of movement in the working chambers on the exhaust and compression stroke.

The water cooling system for the engine includes the water intake passage 64; which enters the chamber in the end of the boss 9. There is a passage way formed in the shaft 6 which communicates with the chamber in the end of the boss 9, said passage way extending inwardly and discharging in the direction indicated by the arrows (Fig. 3) into the spaces 30 and 29. The centrifugal force carries the water thus entering these spaces to the periphery of the rotor shell, from which point it discharges through ports 65 into cavities 66 formed in the walls of the respective plates 20 and 21. The cavities 66 are substantially of the area of the sides of the working chambers, so that the working chambers are practically completely surrounded by water jackets. The cooling fluid is conducted from the cavities 66 through pipes'or passages 67 which extend from said cavities to the space formed between the edge of the cylinder and the grooves in the flanges 23 and 24 respectively. From these spaces on either side of the rotor the water or other cooling fluid is discharged through discharge pipes 68.

From the foregoing the operation of the engine will be clearly apprehended. It will also be understood that the general principles of the invention may find embodiment in modified structure. I do not limit myself, therefore, to the details of construction shown and described, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a drive shaft, a rotor mounted on said drive shaft within the cylinder and spaced therefrom, a series of compression shoes arranged tobear against the periphery of the rotor and to divide the space between the rotor and the cylinder into spaced sealed chambers, shafts mounted in the rotor, plate pistons carried by said shafts, timing and operating mechanism for rocking said shafts and thereby moving said pistons, a gas intake passage and an exhaust passage entering separate zones divided by saidoompression shoes, and a spark device in the cylinder disposed at a point separated from the intake and exhaust passages by said compression shoes, substantially as specified.

2. A rotary. engine comprising an engine case, a cylinder in said case, a drive shaft, a rotor attached to said drive shaft and mounted within said cylinder and spaced therefrom, separating plates at either side of said rotor dividing the cylinder into noncommunicating chambers at either side of the rotor, pistons pivoted to the rotoradjacent to the axis of the drive shaft and being movable to compressing positions at one side of radial lines from the drive shaft through the axis of the pivots of the pistons 1 erating connections in connection with each of said pistons, sealing shoes engaging the periphery of the rotor and disposed at different circumferential points so that the space between the cylinder and the rotor is divided into non-communicating chambers, and means for operating the controlling mechanism for said pistons whereby the pistons will be moved to and from positions of compression incident to the rotation of the rotor while in different circumferential zones determined by said shoes, substantially as specified.

3. A rotary engine comprising a cylindrical stator, a rotor operatively mounted in said stator and spaced therefrom, yieldable packing means dividing the circumferential space between'the rotor and stator into separate zones, at gas inlet passage communispectively to positions of compression at one side of radial lines from the axis of the rotor passing through the axes of the pivots 'of the pistons respectively, and movable from positions of compression to opposite sides of said lines,'operating connections for each of said plstons, and means for operating said connections to move sald pistons to and from positions'of compression as incident-to the rotationof the rotor and at proper intervals While the chambers of the rotor are in the separated zonesbetween the rotor and the stator, substantially as specified.

4. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a rotor within the cylinder and spaced therefrom, adjustable packing shoes dividing the space between the rotor and the cylinder into segmental zones, partition walls in the rotor dividing the same into radial noncommunicating chambers, a piston mounted in each of said chambers pivoted adjacent to the axis of the rotor and extending outwardly-toward the periphery of the rotor and movable respectively to operative positionsat either side'of radial lines from the axis of the rotor passing through the axes of the pistons respectively, levers for oscill'atingsaid pistons, and a cam device stationary with the cylinder for controlling the operation of said mechanism whereby the pistons will be moved to proper operative positions, substantially as specified.

5. A rotary engine comprising a cylindrical' stator, a drive. shaft extending through said stator, a rotor attached to said drive shaft, within said stator and spaced therefrom, partition walls in said rotor, end

plates for said rotor, forming with said partition walls separate non-communicating chambers, rock shafts ournaled in said chambers parallel with and adjacent to the axis of the drive shaft, a lever in connection with each of said rock shafts, cams station'- ary with the stator and operatively connect.- ed with the levels whereby said rock shafts are moved during the rotation of the rotor, adjustable sealing shoes disposed at separate circumferential points in the stator and nally across the peripherythereof at equally spaced circumferential points, packing. shoes mounted to operate through said openings and to contact with the surfaceof the rotor, thereby dividing the circumferential space between the rotor and stator into separate 'zone's, oscillating pistons in each of said working cylinders, means for operating said pistons, a gas intake passage entering the stator in one of the circumferentia l zones, a spark vdevice for exploding the gas in another ofsaid circumferential zones, and an exhaust passage communicating-with a third one of said clrcumferential zones,-substanthe partitions, a water jacket at the periphery of the rotor, end plates for the rotor having water cavities communicating with the passages between the partition walls and the peripheral wall of the rotor, and passages for admitting water at the center of the rotor, whereby the water is caused to circulate between said partition walls around the periphery of the rotor and through the side plates, substantially as specified.

8. A rotary engine comprising a stationary cylinder, a rotor revolubly mounted in said cylinder, radial water passages dividing said rotor into I non-communicating chambers, a passage in-the axis of the rotor for admitting fluid to said Water passages, a peripheral water jacket for said rotor in communication with said first-named passages, end plates for the rotor having water passages therein, and a discharge passage from each of said end plates for discharging the water from the passages in said end plates, substantially as specified.

9. A rotary gas engine, comprising a stationary cylinder, a drive shaft, a rotor mounted on'said drive shaft and spaced from said cylinder, packing devices dividing the space between the cylinder and the rotor into non-communicating chambers,

oscillating pistons in the rotor, said pistons being movable successively to positions of compression at one side of radial lines from the axis of the rotor passing through the axes of the pivots of the pistons .respectively, and movable from positions of compression to opposite sides of said lines, and means for controlling the movement of said pistons.

10. A rotary gas engine, comprising a stationary cylinder, a drive shaft, a rotor mounted on said drive shaft and spaced from said cylinder, packing devices dividing the space between the cylinder and the rotor into non-communicating chambers, oscillating pistons in the rotor, said pistons being movable successively to positions of compression at one side of radial lines from the axis of the rotor passing through the axes of the pivots of the pistons respectively, and movable from positions of compression to opposite sides of said lines, and mechanism for timing the movement of said pistons.

11. A rotary engine, comprising a cylindrical stator, a rotor within the stator and being spaeedthe-refrom, movable packing devices dividing the space between the rotor and the stator into four segmental chambers, a gas inlet passage entering one of said chambers, an exhaust passage from the diametrically opposite chamber, oscillating pistons in said rotor, and timing mechanism controlling the movement of said oscillating pistons, substantially as specified.

12. A rotary engine, comprising a cylindrical stator, a rotor w'thin the stator and being spaced therefrom, movable packing devices dividing the space between the rotor and the stator into four segmental chambers,a gas inlet passage entering one of said chambers, an exhaust passage from the diametrically opposite chamber, oscillating pistons in said rotor, timing mechanism for controlling the operation of said pistons chambers being closed. oscillating pistons in said rotor, radial walls between the oscillating pistons, and timing devices controlling the movement of said pistons.

14. A rotary engine, comprising a cylindrical stator, a rotor within the stator being spaced therefrom, radial walls dividing the stator into quadrants, an oscillating piston mounted in each of said quadrants, packing devices dividing thespace between the rotor and the stator into non-communicating chambers, inlet passages from said non-communicating chambers to said quadrants, and mechanism for timing the movement of said pistons.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROY SAUNDERS.

Witnesses:

L,v C. KINGSLAND,

N. G. BUTLER. 

